Study Guide

Objective

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

- analyse changes in the operating environments and anticipate future developments applying the concepts and methods of futures studies
- evaluate impacts of the changing operating environments on their work, work community and organization, as well on the industry/field at large
- develop one’s competences and expertise in a focused and goal-oriented way in anticipation of the future competence requirements in the work life
- improve and innovate operations and work processes in their work community, taking into account environmental, social and economic sustainability, and using multidisciplinary and multiprofessional futures knowledge.

Content

- Future of work and income
- Future competence needs
- Changing career paths and professional identities
- Future technologies, human–technology interaction
- Sustainable future and ecological reconstruction
- Theories and methods of future studies and foresight
- Importance of foresight for innovations and strategic planning and decision-making

Materials

On the itslearning course platform.

Teaching methods

Reading/viewing online learning materials, individual written assignments and group activities in multidisciplinary groups.

International connections

Planning and implementation of the course is based on multidisciplinary collaboration and co-teaching.

Sustainable development is included in the learning objectives and contents of the course (especially Theme 3 and Assignment 3), as well as in the mode of teaching/learning: the course implementation is entirely based on distance learning on the itslearning platform and using Zoom meetings for multidisciplinary group working. All learning materials are available in a digital form, freely available and easily accessible.

Student workload

Online meeting: Collaborative work in multidisciplinary groups in Zoom, 12 h

Online learning: Independent online learning on the itslearning course platform: 123 h

Group work and assignments:
• Starting day 7.1.2025 at 12.30-15.30: multidisciplinary groups working with SITRA’s megatrend cards.
• Master Minds Hackathon 28.4.2025 at 8.30-17 (and a pre-meeting of the hackathon 16.4.2025 at 10-11): multidisciplinary teams work to solve real working-life problems. Each team presents their solution and composes a report using a provided PowerPoint template.

Individual work and assignments:
• Pre-assignment: familiarizing oneself with Sitra’s megatrend materials.
• Assignment 1. Future orientation: futures consciousness and attitudes towards future (in the itslearning course platform; tutor teacher evaluates, pass/fail).
• Assignment 2. Professional future scenarios: imagining alternative professional futures (in the itslearning course platform; tutor teacher evaluates, pass/fail).
• Assignment 3. Sustainable future: analysing sustainability transformation and ecological reconstruction from the perspective of one’s own field and work (in the itslearning course platform; tutor teacher evaluates, pass/fail).
• Assignment 4. Reflective report: utilizing futures thinking and anticipation methods in one’s own work (in the itslearning course platform; tutor teacher evaluates, pass/fail).

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

In an approved assignment, the student demonstrates his/her ability to:
- examine their own and their organisation's activities consciously, analytically and critically,
- apply the concepts and perspectives of foresight/futures studies in an appropriate manner,
- apply the concepts and perspectives of sustainable development to the context of their own field and work community (task 4),
- make use of the materials instructed in the assignment and mark the references and bibliography appropriately.

Content scheduling

The course is compulsory for all Turku UAS Master Students. It will be implemented partly in multidisciplinary groups comprised of students across the various study programmes, and partly within each study programme on their own itslearning course platform.

There are three online meetings (7.1.2025, 16.4.2025 and 28.4.2025) common to all students of the various study programmes.

The course is mainly based on independent learning using the study materials and assignments in the itslearning course platform. In addition, the study programmes may add and cover discipline specific topics. This will be guided by the tutor teacher during the programme’s contact days.

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PRE-ASSIGMENT

The Future Operating Environments course will start already on Turku UAS' Master School Opening Day 7.1.2024 with an orientation to the course and multiprofessional team discussions in which team members share experiences and thoughts on the impacts of megatrends on their professional field and their own work.

Familiarize yourself with the following materials and be prepared to discuss megatrends on the opening day:
• Sitra 2023: Megatrends
• Sitra 2023: Megatrend cards 2023



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THEME 1: CHANGING WORLD AND WORKING LIFE (calendar weeks 2–5)
• Common starting day 7.1.2025 for all students of the various study programmes: orientation to the course, and group work with SITRA’s megatrend cards (tutor teachers will guide working of the groups).
• Students familiarize themselves independently with the materials in the itslearning course platform.
• Assignment: Future orientation (DL 2.2.2025)
• (Each study programme may arrange lectures by TUAS specialists on themes such as new technologies, circular economy etc. during the programme’s contact days.)


THEME 2: FUTURES STUDIES AND ANTICIPATION (calendar weeks 6–9)
• Students familiarize themselves independently with the materials in the itslearning course platform.
• Assignment 2: Professional future scenarios (DL 2.3.2025).


THEME 3: SUSTAINABLE FUTURE (calendar weeks 10–14)
• Students familiarize themselves independently with the materials in the itslearning course platform.
• Assignment 3: Sustainable future (DL 6.4.2025).


THEME 4: SHAPING MY OWN FUTURE (calendar weeks 15–19)
• Students familiarize themselves independently with the materials in the itslearning course platform.
• Group work: Master Minds Hackathon 28.4.2025. (a full-day event) and its pre-meeting 16.4.2025 at 10–11) for all students of the various study programmes. In the Hackathon, multidisciplinary student teams work to solve real working-life problems, i.e. assignments provided by commissoners. Students will familiarize themselves with the Hackathon instructions and assignments before the Hackathon day in the itslearning platform and submit their team reports there after the Hackathon (DL 4.5.2025.). There are two optional ways of participating in the Hackathon: 1) as a commissioner, or 2) as a member of a team
• Assignment 4: a reflective report on utilizing futures thinking and anticipation methods in one’s own work (DL 11.5.2025).

Further information

Online meetings in Zoom:

Tue 7.1.2025 at 12.30-15.30 Master School opening day / megatrend activity / study programmes in English (Zoom link: https://turkuamk.zoom.us/j/61076391810)

Wed 16.4.2025 at 10–11 a pre-meeting of the Hackathon for the study programmes in English (Zoom link: https://turkuamk.zoom.us/j/67484879128)

Monday 28.4.2025 at 8.30–17.00 Master Minds Hackathon (Zoom link will be informed later).

Evaluation scale

Hyväksytty/Hylätty

Assessment methods and criteria

Assessment will be based on the individual and group assignments submitted in the itslearning course platform and on the demonstrated contribution to the group work in contact days (i.e. in online meetings).

Tutor teacher evaluates the assignments (assignments 1–4). To pass the course, students are expected to participate in the contact days and to contribute to group work in them, as well as to complete and turn in all the assignments. Missing contact day participation will be compensated by an extra assignment. Tutor teachers will keep records of participation in group work in contact days and evaluate the compensatory assignments.

Qualifications

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